EP0747864A2 - Device and method for determining the most economic mail dispatcher and for treating mail shipments - Google Patents

Abstract

The arrangement processes mail. It has a control module (5) and input/output control means (6,61,62) and input and output means (2,8,4). It also has a printer module (7) and a storage mechanism (3,9) connected to the control module (5), with predetermined storage areas. The arrangement also has a receiving arrangement (2) in communicative connection with the control module (5). This receives corresponding data transmitted from an external memory. The control module (5) and the receiving arrangement (2) are programmed to pick up items (31), to download data from the external memory (10) which concern at least one data table. The table contains information which are combined to a stipulation. The stipulations are input via an input device (8) to automatically form demand data. The control module (5) stores the data in predetermined areas of the memory when the arrangement is set in operation. The control module (5) is programmed to process inputs according to service demands to automatically select respective carriage from a given group which satisfy the service requirements. The control module (5) then calculates the carriage or dispatch rate on the basis of the weight of the parcel or letter and on the basis of the current tariff for the service in question. The control module (5) is also programmed to compare the rate for cost optimisation with close automatic selection of an adequate carriage form.

Description

The invention relates to an arrangement for determining the cheapest mail carrier and for processing mail items for multispedition shipping and a method for determining the cheapest mail carrier, according to the type specified in the preamble of claims 1, 18, 21 and 25. It is for a franking machine or a similar device that can be operated for a large number of mail carriers.

The invention relates to an arrangement for franking mail items, i.e. for attaching the postage to the post, which has a printer module and a control module, and storage means and receiving means which communicate with the storage means in order to transmit data via a transmission means.

It has previously been common for new postal charges to be installed by maintenance personnel at the customer's business location, using non-volatile storage media. In addition to the considerable maintenance service expenditure, this means above all that the postage fee table does not take effect at the correct date and time, since the exchange generally takes place only after the new fees have come into force.

U.S. Patent No. 3,635,297 discloses a postage meter with automatic billing. A removable read-only memory (ROM) contains a postage fee schedule according to which the postage fee is calculated when the weight of a package or other shipping information is entered. The disadvantage of this is the effort required if the fees in the storage table have to be changed when a new fee rate comes into force. There is no guarantee that the user of the device will have the memory replaced at the right time, i.e. when it's time to update.

Remote setting of values for updating the postage fee table stored in franking machines when a new fee set comes into force has already been proposed, for example in German patents DE 28 039 82 and DE 28 03 919. The new fees are remotely controlled by a central data station Radio transmission simultaneously to a large number of franking machines with postage meters. The update of the postage meter postage meter with the new fees requires however, that the postage meters are on at these times and that they are constantly able to be addressed.

To protect against fraudulent manipulation, the German patent DE 38 23 719 also includes the printing of a representative character pattern under a certain date. When the post is checked at the post office, the printed date and the mark are compared with the mark approved for that date. An authorization device which has a storage device for storing the character patterns and date data is used for printing. The data which assign the representative character pattern to a specific date are then updated each time by means of an external dialing device during a remote value setting with credit reloading, i.e. when the corresponding user of the franking machine registers for a new credit. However, this security system is limited to fixed networks and cannot be used for mobile franking machines that can be moved from one location to another (mobile office).

Until recently, it was therefore impossible to update mobile franking machines, i.e. such franking machines that are not permanently connected via the telephone network and to protect them against fraudulent manipulation. To equip franking machines with such a capability was first proposed in DE 42 13 278 A1. After the franking machine is switched on, a selective loading of data which is contained in a memory of a transmission means, for example in GSM networks with this aforementioned special service, is carried out.

The memory of the postage meter machine according to DE 42 13 278 A1 has updatable segments for at least one table linked to a specific condition, in particular at least one updated postage fee table and for information and / or Additional information that is linked to at least one condition. However, current and future tariff tables for a mail carrier are only provided.

Modern franking machines, for example published in EP 566 225 A2, are equipped with at least one input means, a control module and a printer module. A portable franking machine has a memory and receiving means that communicate with it in order to transmit data via a transmission means. The postage amounts used by the franking machine are subtracted from an amount that can be loaded via the transmission means. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, these means are in the form of a chip card.

Such franking machines have so far been primarily for cooperation with a national mail carrier, i.e. the respective public postal authority and would have to be converted accordingly for cooperation with another private postal requester.

Furthermore, it has so far been impossible to objectively compare different postal carriers (Post, USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, DPD and / or other forwarders etc.) in terms of costs, availability, pick-up and delivery speed, etc., without the sender having to use external ones Research is carried out.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement for processing mail items and a multi-carrier shipping system that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known devices of this general type and offers security against fraudulent manipulation of any kind and that Application of the postage or the shipping fee in accordance with the applicable postal charges as a function of the postable weight and format can be guaranteed. Another object is largely aimed at providing a mobile franking machine of the type mentioned above, which can be operated regardless of the location. An additional task is to create a shipping system that allows the loading and use of fee tables and similar specific data from different carriers in the franking machine.

The object is achieved with the features of claims 1, 18, 21 and 25.

With the increasing liberalization of mail delivery, mail processing systems are becoming interesting for customers, with which they are able to choose between the offers of different competing mail carriers the best one for them. This presupposes that a mail processing system can provide the customer with information for this selection and can calculate the fees for the desired transport service. For billing purposes, the franking machine must be equipped with the postage fee tables of the respective carrier.

On the one hand, when the franking machine is initialized, a group of carriers is preselected, from which the desired carrier can then be selected. A routine according to the invention, which runs in the control module (processor) of the franking machine, automatically ensures that it matches current carrier-related data, which are stored in the memory of a transmission means or a data center. It is provided that the control module and the receiving means are programmed to access means for downloading data from the external memory which relate to at least one data table, the data table containing information which is linked to at least one condition, the conditions with an input means can be entered to automatically generate request data for downloading the aforementioned data.

The control module has means for storing the data received by said receiving means relating to at least one data table in one of said predetermined storage areas of said storage means, further means allowing the selection of current data from the at least one data table which are used to determine the shipping fee for a Package is required.

• i) zum Verarbeiten von Eingaben betreff gestellter Dienstleistungsanforderungen an den Beförderer und automatische Auswahl derjenigen Beförderer aus vorgenannter Gruppe an Beförderern, welche die gestellten Dienstleistungsanforderungen erfüllen,
• ii) zur Errechnung der Porto- bzw. Versandgebühr aufgrund des Gewichtes des Postgutes bzw. Briefes und aufgrund aktueller Tarife für selektierte Dienstleistungen sowie
• iii) zur Durchführung von Vergleichen der Porto- bzw. Versandgebühr zur Kostenoptimierung bei der engeren automatischen Auswahl des günstigsten Beförderers.

On the other hand, according to the invention, an automatic carrier selection takes place in the franking machine according to the criteria set for the dispatch. The control module in connection with the storage means is programmed:

• i) to process inputs relating to the service requests made to the carrier and automatically select those carriers from the aforementioned group of carriers who meet the service requests made,
• ii) to calculate the postage or shipping fee based on the weight of the mail or letter and on the basis of current tariffs for selected services and
• iii) to carry out comparisons of the postage or shipping fee to optimize costs in the closer automatic selection of the cheapest carrier.

According to the invention, an optimization program runs in the processor of the postage meter machine which makes suggestions for low mail transport costs. The automatic carrier selection according to the respective criteria set for shipping has the advantage over manual selection that the cheapest carrier is now also selected according to objective criteria without error. However, the manual selection of the cheapest carrier for the intended transport of a package would also be one for the franking machine user time-consuming comparison of the transport and tariff conditions of the carriers in question. Because the machine does this comparison for him, real time and cost advantages are possible for the individual shipper.

The possibilities of the franking machine have been expanded by a more comfortable input and simulation with the display of a large number of parameters on the screen for a wide variety of mail pieces to be processed and can advantageously be used when entering further shipping data.

A manually using the keyboard / display unit (user interface) of the franking machine or automatically selected mail carrier, the postage value of the letter created and other shipping information, such as the shipping method, as well as, if applicable, the cost center charged for booking the accounting data are at least displayed and saved.

In view of the above and other tasks, according to the invention an arrangement for franking mail items is provided, consisting of a control module and a printer module, with predetermined storage areas of the storage means connected to the control module, with a receiving means communicating with the storage means for receiving data which are transmitted via transmission means. The receiving means include means for downloading at least one data table from the transmission means, the data table containing information that is linked to at least one condition. The control module has means for storing the at least one data table received by the receiving means in one of the predetermined storage areas of the storage means when the arrangement is put into operation. The control module further includes means for extracting from the at least one data table a subset of relevant data, in particular a current data table and information relating to specific ones Select functions that are then available in the arrangement for franking mail items as a function of the at least one condition.

According to an additional feature of the invention, the at least one data table includes a set of postage fee tables for a plurality of mail carriers, but at least two postage fee tables; which are loaded into storage means via downloading means when the arrangement is initialized or put into operation. The set of a large number of mail carriers or with at least two mail carriers is defined before the data sets for table data and other data are loaded. The at least two postage fee tables are loaded by the transmission means via the receiving means into one of the predetermined storage areas of the storage means. The control module has means to determine the cheapest mail carrier by comparing the determined postage fees. The control module also has means for selecting an applicable postage from the currently valid postage fee table depending on the place of origin of the mail item and a current date.

According to an additional feature of the invention, the receiving means include means for reading a chip card and the transmission means is a chip card. Said chip card has a memory with predetermined memory areas, the predetermined memory areas containing at least one area for storing a postage fee table and an associated date , which defines a date on which the postage fee table comes into force. In a preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned at least one area contains a plurality of areas and each area is available for at least one postage fee table and an assigned date.

• a) manuell über die Tastatur oder ähnliche Betätigungsmittel oder andere Eingabemittel,
• b) automatisch aus dem Speicher' einer Vermittlungsstation (für beispielsweise ISDN) bzw. aus dem Speicher eines Übertragungsmittels, beispielsweise einem zellularen Kommunikationswerk.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the transmission means is a cellular communication network; this includes a memory with storage areas in the cellular network. The mobile franking machine equipped with the input or receiving means is provided for receiving input information associated with a geographical origin and possibly with a local time. There are basically two options for entering the aforementioned input information into the control module:

• a) manually via the keyboard or similar actuation means or other input means,
• b) automatically from the memory of a switching station (for example for ISDN) or from the memory of a transmission medium, for example a cellular communication system.

In a preferred embodiment, the receiving means comprise means which automatically transfer the information received from the cellular communication network into the memory when the mobile franking machine is switched on. Location identification data is entered into the franking machine.

According to yet another property of the invention, the predetermined memory areas of the memory of the chip card or of the cellular communication network contain memory areas for at least one postage fee table, additional function tables and additional information to be loaded via the receiving means, and the arrangement includes input means which allow the operator to Enter such information as country of origin, place of origin, country and date and, if applicable, local time. For example, the aforementioned information is entered before switching off and remains non-volatile until the franking machine is switched on again.

After a change of location when the franking machine is switched on again, the aforementioned information is requested in connection with the update conditions applicable to the respective mail carrier in order to form special request data which are transmitted to the memory of the transmission means or by modem to the data center before the reloading starts with carrier-related update data. Entering the change of location is necessary to generate a modified stamp image depending on the place of dispatch.

According to yet another property of the invention, the arrangement includes a communication bus that connects the control module to other modules and components, and a battery-backed clock / date module that supplies the arrangement with the time and date via the bus.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the data transmitted via the transmission means include zoned postage fee tables as well as input means for entering a weight of the mail item, a postal class and a type of mail for each zone of the postage fee tables, which can be downloaded into the arrangement. In one embodiment, the input means permit direct manual input by an operator to determine the postage.

According to yet another property of the invention, the transmission means contain stored data relating to the additional functions to be downloaded, which are only valid for a limited period and only for a predetermined geographical location from a certain date, some of the additional functions being freely selectable and others not being manipulated for security reasons are.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the control module, the printer module, the storage means, the Receiving means and, as an option, other properties mentioned above built into a mobile franking device.

According to yet another feature of the invention, the arrangement includes a communication bus connecting the control module and other modules and components, and a programmable clock / date block for supplying the arrangement with an appropriate local time when a specific location is determined.

According to an accompanying property of the invention, the input means include a scale for weighing the mail item, which in a preferred embodiment has the form of an integrated scale module and is connected to the arrangement via an interface.

• die Anordnung wird in Betrieb gesetzt, Daten werden für einen Satz an Postbeförderern angefordert und anschließend wird mit dem Steuermodul die von den Empfangsmitteln empfangene zumindest eine Datentabelle in einem der vorbestimmten Speicherbereiche der Speichermittel gespeichert, wobei mit Empfangsmitteln zumindest eine Datentabelle von den Übertragungsmitteln heruntergeladen wird und wobei die Datentabelle Informationen enthält, die mit zumindest einer Bedingung verknüpft sind, und
• schließlich werden mit dem Steuermodul aus der zumindest einen Datentabelle, automatisch eine aktuelle Datentabelle und Informationen bezüglich spezifischer Funktionen ausgewählt, die dann in der Anordnung zum Bearbeiten von Postsendungen als Funktion der zumindest einen Bedingung zu Verfügung steht.

In view of the above and other tasks, a method for processing mail items is also provided, namely with an arrangement consisting of a control module, storage means connected to the control module with predetermined storage areas, receiving means that are communicatively connected to the storage means in order to transmit via the transmission means Receive data. The method comprises the following steps:

• the arrangement is put into operation, data is requested for a set of mail carriers, and the control module then stores the at least one data table received by the receiving means in one of the predetermined storage areas of the storage means, with at least one data table being downloaded from the transmission means using receiving means and wherein the data table contains information associated with at least one condition, and
• finally, the control module automatically selects from the at least one data table a current data table and information relating to specific functions, which is then available in the arrangement for processing mail items as a function of the at least one condition.

• aus den abgerufenen Datentabellen werden entsprechend den Versandinformationen geeignete Daten ausgewählt,
• mit dem Steuermodul werden aus den entsprechenden Datentabellen und als eine Funktion der Versandinformationen die Versandkosten für die zu verschickenden Sendungen errechnet,
• anschließend erfolgt ein Vergleichen der im Berechnungsschritt berechneten Versandkosten und die Anzeige der Versandkosten in aufsteigender Reihenfolge.

Shipping information is entered into the arrangement, with the control module data tables are called up from the memory, each of which is assigned to a different shipping agent,

• Suitable data is selected from the retrieved data tables according to the shipping information,
• with the control module, the shipping costs for the items to be sent are calculated from the corresponding data tables and as a function of the shipping information,
• the shipping costs calculated in the calculation step are then compared and the shipping costs are displayed in ascending order.

According to an optional mode of operation of the invention, the receiving means comprise means for reading a chip card and the transmission means is a chip card; the method then further includes inserting a chip card into the chip card reading means for downloading with the receiving means and removing the chip card before the arrangement is processed, in particular franked or provided with a corresponding imprint.

The invention is based on the fact that the transmission of the new postage to all franking machines, in particular to mobile franking machines that have not been switched on in the meantime or are not ready to run, has not taken place at the appropriate time, so that the fees are stored in a memory Transmission means are temporarily stored and the current fee rate is automatically adopted by the franking devices when they are switched on.

The invention is also based on the concept from DE 42 13 278 A1, i.e. planning for an early preparation of postage fee tables if a change in postage is expected so that the postage fees can be made available to all customers of the postal service long before they come into effect. The intention is to provide the majority of the participants with an updated postage fee table in good time and not, as for example in DE 28 03 982 C2 or DE 28 03 919 C2, only on the day in question and simultaneously.

Likewise in time, namely when the franking machine is started up or switched on, data for additional functions, in particular for security or for error control and control of fraudulent manipulations and for facilitating use, are loaded.

The mail items to be franked include letters and parcels as well as parcels. From a predetermined thickness, the mail items to be franked, the imprint prescribed by the mail carrier is printed on a strip which is then connected to the mail item.

The liberalization of shipping agents not only in the United States but around the world has made it an economic must, the offerings of various shipping agents or to compare mail carriers. The franking machine according to this invention therefore allows the user to choose from the services of different, competing freight forwarders or mail carriers. This requires that the postage meter be enabled to provide the user with information regarding the selection, including the calculation of the charges for the desired transportation services. Accordingly, the postage meter must be equipped to download and store various fee tables for a set of different carriers.

• örtliche Verfügbarkeit
• Liefergeschwindigkeit
• Zuverlässigkeit
• Gebühr und Zusatzkosten.

It is possible to set a preferred choice in relation to the freight forwarder when it is used by the user for the first time or initialized by the dealer. This choice of preferred carrier can be made according to criteria such as the following:

• local availability
• Delivery speed
• reliability
• Fee and additional costs.

The data of the generally available forwarding agents can therefore be stored in the franking machine when it is dispatched and can then be confirmed by the user or the dealer. Additional carriers with only a local presence (e.g. city-wide express courier services or city-to-city special delivery) can be entered by the user using the keyboard using a special input routine.

If there is not enough storage space for data from other mail carriers, the franking machine will signal this to the user. For example, a warning and a request to another carrier in the set of are displayed via display means To waive freight forwarders. In the case of a freight forwarder, which is preferably selected via the menu, this is done by manual input using the input means. In a further variant, this deletion of data for the rarest used forwarder can take place automatically.

Postage fee tables are usually updated from time to time. The tariffs in such fee tables are usually increased for certain services. Base price increases, which are basically valid throughout, are also possible. Such increases are typical for the national postal service (for example, in the USA for the US Postal Service) and for private forwarders such as the Federal Express, United Parcel Service, DHL, TNT Skypack etc.

As long as the postage meter is equipped to handle a single carrier (usually the national postal authority), replacing the entire postage fee table and the need to reload new tables is still a relatively simple process. However, if the franking machine is equipped for other forwarding agents (whose fee tables change on different days), the system must be enabled to contain the correct tables and to carry out the correct calculations at all times.

Various options are proposed here to update and enable the aforementioned services:

In a very simple case, the freight forwarder is asked about his current fees after this freight forwarder has been selected. This is done either by selecting the forwarding center or a database in a data center that is maintained by the manufacturer of the franking machine. The franking machine can automatically generate request data in order to initiate communication. The current fee table is then called up when the carrier is chosen and saved in the franking machine. Was If there is already a fee table for this carrier in the franking machine, the request can be limited to simply asking whether this fee table is still up to date. The disadvantage here is that such a data connection causes costs which greatly reduce or even cancel out the cost savings achieved by choosing an alternative forwarder.

The above can be improved by automatically contacting the data center only at certain times, e.g. when the franking machine is switched on in the morning. In addition, if the franking machine is not switched off, it is possible to access the data centers during an automatic call at night in order to update all the data required for the set of mail carriers and carriers by the start of the shift or daybreak.

The above is further improved if the dial-up connection is only established after certain periods have elapsed. A typical period for the validity of a fee schedule is one year. Accordingly, these "typical" periods are stored together with the data of the last change for each carrier. The most likely date for the next fee change can therefore be easily calculated for each carrier. The internal clock / date block of the franking machine monitors this data for each carrier. When this date is approached, a data connection to the forwarding center or the manufacturer of the franking machine is established and the new fee table is loaded.

For mail carriers who prescribe a prepayment of postage fees, at the time of reloading the credit into the franking machine, the opportunity is given to also provide further data from the data center relating to the respective mail carrier and if necessary, also load the other forwarding agents into the franking machine.

In a preferred alternative, the fee table for each mail carrier or freight forwarder has an "expiry date". Accordingly, as soon as the processor contained in the control module in connection with the clock / date module of the franking machine detects such an expiry date (when the date changes at midnight or during the initialization routine when the franking machine is switched on in the morning), the franking machine initiates an automatic data connection and the new one The fee table for the relevant postal carrier or forwarder is downloaded. It is clear that the conditions under which the up-to-dateness of the data must be checked can vary greatly depending on the postal carrier or forwarder. This is taken into account when forming request data that initiate communication with a remote data center or with a transmission medium.

• einem Steuermodul, einem an das Steuermodul angeschlossenen Speicher mit vorbestimmten Speicherbereichen und einem Empfänger, der mit dem Speicher kommunizierend verbunden ist, um über Übertragungsmittel übertragene Daten zu empfangen;
• dabei lädt der Empfänger eine Vielzahl von Datentabellen von dem Übertragungsmittel herunter, wobei jede der Datentabellen einem entsprechenden Versandspediteur zugeordnet ist;
• das Steuermodul speichert jede der Datentabellen in einem bestimmten Speicherbereich des Speichers; und
• das Steuermodul enthält eine Vergleichseinrichtung zum Vergleich einzelner Daten aus der Vielzahl von Datentabellen und zur Anzeige eines Ergebnisses des Vergleichs.
  Entsprechend einer weiteren Eigenschaft der Erfindung, enthält jede der Datentabellen ein zugeordnetes Ablaufdatum und an oder nach diesem Ablaufdatum lädt das Steuermodul mit dem Empfangsmittel automatisch eine aktualisierte Datentabelle herunter.

In accordance with the aforementioned requirements, an arrangement is provided for determining shipping costs for shipments to be shipped with a carrier selected from a variety of carriers. The arrangement consists of:

• a control module, a memory connected to the control module with predetermined memory areas and a receiver which is communicatively connected to the memory in order to receive data transmitted via transmission means;
• the recipient downloads a plurality of data tables from the transmission means, each of the data tables being associated with a corresponding shipping agent;
• the control module stores each of the data tables in a specific memory area of the memory; and
• the control module contains a comparison device for comparing individual data from the large number of data tables and for displaying a result of the comparison.
  According to a further property of the invention, each of the data tables contains an assigned expiry date and on or after this expiry date the control module automatically downloads an updated data table with the receiving means.

According to an additional feature of the invention, each of the data tables contains information associated with at least one condition, and the control module selects from the data tables an up-to-date data table and information regarding specific functions, which are then in the arrangement for franking as a function of the at least one a condition is available.

According to yet another feature of the invention, the plurality of data tables include at least two shipping fee tables; the control module, when the arrangement is put into operation, loads the two shipping fee tables from the transmission means, via the receiving means, into one of the predetermined storage areas of the storage means; and the control module selects an applicable shipping fee from the currently applicable shipping fee tables, depending on a place of origin of the shipment to be shipped and a current date.

In view of these tasks solved by the invention, a method for determining the shipping fee for mail items for the mailing of which several of the set of postal carriers or forwarding agents are possible is currently running in An arrangement consisting of a control module, a memory connected to the control module with predetermined memory areas and a receiver which is communicatively connected to the memory in order to receive data transmitted via transmission means, comprising the following steps:

• aus den abgerufenen Datentabellen werden entsprechend den Versandinformationen geeignete Daten ausgewählt,
• mit dem Steuermodul werden aus den entsprechenden Datentabellen und als eine Funktion der Versandinformationen die Versandkosten für die zu verschickenden Sendungen errechnet,
• anschließend erfolgt ein Vergleichen der im Berechnungsschritt berechneten Versandkosten und die Anzeige der Versandkosten in aufsteigender Reihenfolge.

Shipping information is entered into the arrangement, with the control module data tables are called up from the memory, each of which is assigned to a different shipping agent,

• Suitable data is selected from the retrieved data tables according to the shipping information,
• with the control module, the shipping costs for the items to be sent are calculated from the corresponding data tables and as a function of the shipping information,
• the shipping costs calculated in the calculation step are then compared and the shipping costs are displayed in ascending order.

Further properties considered to be characteristic of the invention are set out in the appended claims.

Although the invention embodied and illustrated herein as an arrangement for franking mailpieces with a multi-freight system, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit depart from the invention and without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

Figur 1a,

Blockschaltbild für eine Frankiermaschine nach einer ersten Variante,

Figur 1b,

Blockschaltbild für eine Frankiermaschine nach einer zweiten Variante,

Figur 1c,

Blockschaltbild für eine Frankiermaschine nach einer dritten Variante,

Figur 2,

Darstellung der Speicherbereiche für Portogebührentabellen;

Figuren 3a - 3c,

Darstellung für Speicherbereiche für Zusatzfunktionstabellen;

Figur 4,

Blockschaltbild einer GSM-Kommunikations-Variante,

Figur 5,

Ansicht eines Informationsfeldes,

Figur 6,

Tabelle vergleichbarer Befördererdienst leistungen, und

Figur 7,

Verfahrensschritte zur Ermittlung des günstigsten Beförderers,

Advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are set out below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the figures. Show it:

Figure 1a,

Block diagram for a franking machine according to a first variant,

Figure 1b,

Block diagram for a franking machine according to a second variant,

Figure 1c,

Block diagram for a franking machine according to a third variant,

Figure 2,

Representation of the storage areas for postage fee tables;

Figures 3a - 3c,

Representation for memory areas for additional function tables;

Figure 4,

Block diagram of a GSM communication variant,

Figure 5,

View of an information field,

Figure 6,

Table of comparable carrier services, and

Figure 7,

Procedural steps to determine the cheapest carrier,

The block diagram shown in FIG. 1a for a franking machine according to the first variant shows a chip card 10 or smart card of the type which is already known for setting the value on direct debit or customer credit accounts and the like. In this embodiment, the chip card 10 is used as the transmission medium and has current shipping fee tables plus additional shipping fee tables which are valid for the upcoming fees. The block diagram of Figure 1a shows a franking device 1 according to the invention with a chip card reader / writer 2 as a corresponding receiving means.

The arrangement for processing mail items consists of an interconnection of a control module 5, with an input / output control means 6 having interfaces 61, 62, to which input means 2, 8 and output means 4 and a printer module 7 are connected, with storage means 3, 9 which have predetermined memory areas, with a receiving means 2 that is communicatively connected to said storage means in order to receive correspondingly transmitted data from an external memory 10.

In the block diagram shown, a bus 11 connects the components to one another, e.g. the storage means 3 with the display means 4, with the control module 5 and with the input / output control means 6. A printer module 7, an input means 8 and the chip card read / write device 2 are connected to the input / output control means 6. In a circuit - not shown in FIG. 1a - the separate bus 11 can be omitted. The weight of a mailpiece can be read and entered from an external scale (not shown in FIG. 1a).

The block diagram shown in FIG. 1b for a franking machine according to a second variant differs from that shown in FIG. 1a by an interface RS 232 for connection 62 of a MODEM and / or optionally 61 of a weighing module 14 in order to automatically enter the weight value. The aforementioned connection 61, 62 takes place either via the input / output control means 6 or directly via the bus 11. The connection of the card read / write device 2 is additionally provided.

FIG. 1c shows a block diagram for a franking machine according to a third variant. As an alternative to the modem, an internal transmitting / receiving device 200 is provided, which in the following is simply called receiving means. A block diagram of a GSM communication variant will be explained later with reference to FIG. 4. A card reader / writer 2 can optionally be provided to take a chip card or smart card, credit card or prepaid card

The control module 5 and the receiving means 2, 200 and 15 are programmed to access means 31 for downloading data from the external memory 12, 300, 301, 302 or 305, the data relating to at least one data table. The data table contains information which is linked to at least one condition, the conditions being able to be input using an input means 8 in order to automatically generate request data for downloading the aforementioned data. A means 30, for example a routine stored in the memory area of the memory means 3, or special hardware is provided for the formation of request data.

It is provided for the embodiment variant shown in FIG. 1c that the external memory is a memory 300, 301, 302 of the cellular communication network. Memory segments are provided in the memory of the cellular communication network and the means 3, 5, 6 of said arrangement 1 and 100 are connected to the receiving means 200 in order to receive input information, including a geographical location, from a service of the cellular communication network .

In each postage meter there is a programmable battery-operated clock / date module 9, which has such programming and accuracy that the correct data regarding the date are provided, so that the current date data and the future data for the date on which the assigned postage fee table comes into force, can be loaded into the storage means 3 of the franking device. The programming relates in particular to the locally variable time to be taken into account, to time zones which essentially depend on the longitude and to the considering the date line. The clock / date module 9 likewise has memory areas with data which can interact with the means 30 for forming request data.

This is not only advantageous for a franking device that is only operated stationary, but also for a mobile franking device that can be brought from place to place, because the franking device configuration includes a programmable clock component 9 that determines the applicable local time or franking device time based on one defined current or a future specific location. Given the accuracy of the clock, which only needs to be checked after a very long period of time, it may be sufficient to set the clock only once, namely at the factory, provided that the local time can be set by entering the current geographical position. For this purpose, a memory area is available for the clock component and contains the relevant locations with the assigned time difference for a location, so that the clock can be set. The time difference takes the form of additions to and subtractions from Greenwich Mean Time.

The franking machine 1 has means in the control module 5 which, when the franking machine 1 is put into operation, has at least one postage fee table for the franking machine 1, for example from the chip card 10, via the receiving means 2 and 6, in a predetermined memory space 33, 34 of the storage medium 3 load. The franking machine 1 also includes other means 30, 31, 32 and 35 which, in the control module 5, perform routines in order to use the means 3, 4, 8, 9 and 11, based on the mailing country or location entered and the date, select the currently applicable postal fee schedule, which will then determine the applicable postage. Hardware and / or software is used to produce these means in the form of a programmable logic module or a microprocessor control program.

The chip card 10 is intended for use as a direct debit card (debit or credit card) or prepaid card with national or international validity, although this should in no way preclude other means of processing money data. In a preferred embodiment, the chip card is valid for the European Community. Adaptations to various North American systems are within the ability of the normal specialist. The fees are paid and billed e.g. through a central service office or service center for the national postal authorities and other private mail carriers or freight forwarders.

Further functions are advantageously stored in the chip card 10 in such a way that they can be called up by means of the date supplied by the clock / date module 9. The information for the other functions to be loaded into the franking device is linked to a specific condition (e.g. date, time, location).

It is envisaged that the at least one data table contains a set of postage fee tables, wherein when the arrangement 1, 100 is put into operation, said downloading and storage means 3, 31, 32 at least from the external memory 12 or 300, 301, 302 of the transmission means 10 or GSM via the receiving means 2, 200 or by modem 15 from a database 305 of a data center DZ load the set of postage fee tables into one of said predetermined storage areas 33, 34 of said storage means 3 and said control module 4 accesses further means 36 , to select an applicable postage from the currently valid postage fee table, depending on a place of origin of the mail item and a current date.

Security against fraudulent manipulation can be increased by ensuring that a number of functions associated with the updated date are included in the update during the update Franking machine 1 can be loaded. As a result, the other functions that can be loaded and can be operated are specified in a flexible and not optional form. It is provided that the control module 5 accesses further means 37 in order to select current data and information relating to specific functions from the at least one data table, which are then available as a function for processing mail items.

For security against fraudulent manipulation, the national postal authority to which the sending location of the mail item belongs can determine a printout that can only be machine-read by this national postal service. This expression can e.g. be the business number for the approval check, represented as a barcode, or another contractually agreed symbol that is printed on the post using the same printer or a different printer at a specific location.

In order to offer a wider selection of the functions loaded into the franking device, it is also possible to provide the place of origin, the location of the mailbox or the relevant post office and / or the applicable private mail carrier and similar information via the input means 8.

FIG. 2 shows a memory area with a memory segment which is assigned an update date for the current postal fee table and the future postal fee table. In this way, at least one postage fee table is available as a function of the storage area associated with a sending country. This enables the charges to be set correctly for each machine using the information stored in the transmission medium. Of course, a regionally valid postage fee table or a valid one Postage fee table with different regional tariffs are used.

Each postal fee table for a national postal system is divided into zones for the mail to be sent from the place of dispatch (the post office at which the mail box is assigned to which the mail is thrown) to the place of delivery to which it is sent. The zones which are associated with distances and / or are assigned to locations inland relative to locations abroad or the distance from the sending location to the receiving location can be stored in the memory in such a way as an additional function that they are stored in a further memory area A, B, C etc. can be called up and determined for each country and that the corresponding zone in the current table is addressed by the control means (Fig. 3a - 3c). Once the correct zone has been determined, the postal customer can choose from the services that have been agreed between the various national postal systems and the postage machine manufacturer, i.e. in relation to the type of dispatch or post class (letter, reply postcard, printed matter, letters of the second order, parcel, etc.), form of dispatch or type of post (value, registered mail, shipment by private person, return receipt requested, cash on delivery, express mail, airmail, preferred mail, general delivery, etc .) and additional services (free envelope) or similar imprints (logo, advertising, etc.).

If the weight and the type of dispatch and the form of dispatch of the shipment in connection with the user interface (Fig. 5) have been entered by the user, the postage can be found automatically according to the zones. Other postage tables (not shown in Fig. 2, but which will be valid in the future or are valid from the current update date) for further mail carriers and preferably for each of the national mail carriers are stored in separate storage areas. For each table, the date (to be entered) of the date stamp that appears on the shipment appears to be compared with the update date, ie with the date on which the table comes into force; this comparison being carried out by the control means 5.

FIGS. 3a-3c show the additional function tables which are stored in the further memory areas and each of which corresponds to a sending country A, B or sending location and / or a date. By entering the sending country A, B for each area, a first selection from among the functions to be loaded into the franking device is made manually or automatically and loaded into its storage means when the franking device is put into operation. The additional functions F1 (payment for express mail from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.), F2 (payment for express mail from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.), F3 (payment for shipping and personal delivery by an individual), Fn (etc.), and so on apply for an agreed time of day or for a limited period of time determined by the relevant national postal authority or private postal carrier or forwarder (Fig.3a).

3b relates to a table for a number of additional functions that are to be transmitted to the franking device and can then be freely selected. As a rule, mail is picked up when a franking device is in stationary operation. It is also possible to arrange a stationary mailbox in-house with the post office. For the mobile use of a franking device, other services of the postal system (assignment of postcodes and numbers for post offices to place names) must necessarily be used. The data for mailboxes in public places, such as ports, airports, train stations, places with increased traffic and other nodes, which are constantly open and serve as mail delivery and delivery points, are listed in another, not shown, updatable directory and are suitable, call up stored information or make functions available, with which this data for open acceptance points and the date can be entered manually in a field. Another Storage area is provided for this purpose. If a number of functions cannot be selected for local reasons, another place of origin that allows these functions can be determined.

An agreement may also be made between the customer and the manufacturer that certain additional information will be printed on the post at another location, in particular certain calendar information and temporary advertising messages. For example, advertise an exhibitor for a trade show. This information to be printed appears automatically in the print image according to the previous programming. A further memory area can also be made available for this purpose.

3c relates to a table for the additional functions, which are firmly agreed and are transmitted to the postage meter if a condition is met.

Data is loaded for additional functions, in particular for security or for error control and control for fraudulent manipulations and to facilitate use.

The former data relating to security can be new code keys, for example, which are used to generate cryptographically encrypted data.

Such cryptographically encrypted data are also printed out in addition to the other franking data, as was described in more detail, for example, in EP 576 113 A2 with the title: Method and arrangement for quickly generating a security imprint. With the help of such data, the mail carrier can determine whether the mailing was properly billed or whether a valid postage rate table was used.

The additional functions that create an additional identification mark serve e.g. to ensure security in recognizing the backdating of future mail, or in other words, where the post has been provided with postage in advance. Such functions are agreed between the manufacturer of the franking device and the individual mail carriers and are determined by the pre-dated time at which the mail is brought to the place where it is posted.

A further selection from the functions to be loaded into the franking device takes place automatically and is loaded into the storage means of the franking device when it is put into operation (FIGS. 3b and 3c), by entering a field to indicate the place of delivery of the post Specify the position of the mailbox and in particular the postcode (ZIP) or the number of the responsible post office. Additional security markings (security signs) are printed with which the correct debit and settlement can be verified. The postal service or the private carrier will then carry out checks on their side and ensure that the account has been correctly debited. If the place of origin or the freight forwarder is incorrect or if an incorrect or fake postage table has been used, the consignment will be sorted out and will not be transported by the corresponding freight forwarder.

In a further variant - shown in FIG. 4 - the embodiment according to the invention, cellular communication networks, in particular Groupe Speciale Mobile (GSM) networks, are used as the transmission means. Such GSM networks have a radio switching subsystem (SSS) for mobile subscribers 100 with connections on the one hand to other radio and stationary networks (NETWORK), in particular PSTN, ISDN and PDN, and on the other hand to mobile subscribers 100 via radio-operated base station subsystems (BSS). In the BSS, code converter equipment (TCE) is connected to a BSS controller (BCE) of the BSS system with which a plurality of cellular components, i.e. the various base transceiver stations (BTS) are connected, which form the transmission means of the cellular communication network to the subscribers 100. The BSS control device (BCE) or components of the radio switching subsystem (SSS), such as the operation and maintenance center (OMC) connected to the radio switching center (MSC) or the control device (BCE) of the operating and Maintenance centers (OMC) are equipped with a storage medium (300, 301 or 302). The storage means (300, 301 or 302) contains storage segments for the published postage tables which can be called up, for the non-secret additional function tables and for other service and additional information or other services. Such services can also be provided by the operator of the GSM networks to determine the location of the franking machine.

In the case of mobile franking devices 1, 100, the country or place of dispatch and the country or local time can preferably be entered automatically. In Europe, this is done, for example, by using the services offered by the GSM network or the digital European wireless telephone network DECT (Digital European Cordless Telephone).

An information field - shown in Fig. 5 - for date, place of dispatch, weight, format, selected carrier name, postage amount and other typical information and for the additional functions approved by the corresponding national postal authority or by the private postal carrier can be in the display means 4 or 400 of the corresponding franking machine (FM) 1 or 100 are displayed to make a selection of the mail carrier and / or functions. A display area has, for example, three fields for displaying a number of carriers between which a selection can be made, for displaying the postage determined, if corresponding shipping information, such as shipping method and shipping method, and the weight value have been entered and for displaying carrier-related billing information. The latter can include, for example, an indication of the available credit or the type of settlement. The cost center that is charged for posting the accounting data can also be displayed.

The screen image shown in FIG. 5 did not show the display of information that can only be called up by means of a password, such as the serial number of the franking device, the business number, the number of items, the registration amount and the postage amount; and a direct debit statement of the amounts deducted.

As part of a suitable operator guidance, the screen branches from the main menu to other screens if there is a corresponding user input, such as in the unpublished German application under the title: Method and arrangement for entering data into a franking machine (official file number 195 49 305.2-53 ) has been explained in more detail.

The availability of different carriers who compete for the same service contract makes the selection process for the user considerably more difficult. There have to be different conditions are taken into account, including the shipping fee for a particular shipment. It is therefore desirable that the franking machine assist the user in the selection so that he real savings can be achieved in terms of a proper and satisfactory transportation of the mail items.

The franking machine must save the services and fees of the various forwarding agents in a comparable form.

FIG. 6 shows a table of comparable carrier services as an example of a possible embodiment of the stored data.

The user of the franking machine first defines the desired services. This is done by entering the data relating to the shipping zone (the target zone) and the desired additional services, such as express delivery (E), return receipt (R), etc. An additional required entry would be the number of shipments to be sent by the discount available for bulk shipping to use. In a first selection step, those mail carriers or forwarders who offer the desired services are determined with the aid of a mask, possibly similar to the illustration in FIG. 6. For example, a shipment to Zone B with the desired return receipt excludes the forwarding agents 1, 2 and 4 in accordance with the table in FIG. 6 and the further selection process is limited only to forwarding agents 3 and 5.

In the further selection step, the basic fee (B), the special service fee (E), the return fee (R) and the discount (D) are taken into account and there is a fee optimization to achieve the best price (P): $$\begin{array}{c}\begin{array}{c}\text{B3 + R3 - D3 = P3}\\ \text{B5 + R5 - D5 = P5}\end{array}\end{array}$$

The added shipping charges (P3 and P5) are compared and the carrier with the smaller amount (Pmin) is suggested as the optimal carrier. For example, 200 shipments to be sent (with basic weight and dimensions, ie letters) would result in the following costs according to the previous example: $$\begin{array}{c}\begin{array}{c}\text{P3 = 0.70 + 1.90 - 0.00 = \$ 2.60}\\ {\text{P5 = 1.05 + 2.80 - 0.10}}^{\text{1}}\text{= \$ 3.75}\end{array}\end{array}$$

In the display, recommendation P3 appears in the first place in a special display area 20 as the optimal carrier Pmin.

In order not to ignore certain intangible things, a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 5 also displays a second (and third) choice in the special display area 20 to allow the user to come to his own conclusion and selection. The user may have less rational reasons (e.g. familiarity with the service, the pick-up driver currently used is particularly efficient, etc.) and may wish to ignore the optimized recommendation and decide on the second or third choice.

In view of the foregoing, it is clear that any reference herein to "mailing", "postage" and the like is not limited to the state postal service, but rather privately operated mail carriers or forwarding services and their shipping charges are also meant. The automatic selection solution according to the invention is not limited to paper mail items, such as letters and postcards, or the like, and can also be applied to the selection of the cheapest forwarder when sending parcels or other mail items will. And if we refer to a franking machine, the same can also apply to a device that determines the shipping costs without printing a franking stamp, ie without actually franking the item itself.

An exemplary embodiment, which is shown in FIG. 7, illustrates the method for determining the cheapest carrier.

When the franking machine is started up, the franking machine must be initialized in one step with regard to the location and a selected number from a number of mail carriers. It can be initialized for a group of carriers in step 16.

• örtliche Präsenz,
• Schnelligkeit der Zustellung,
• Zuverlässigkeit oder
• günstigen Tarifen   erfolgen.

According to the customer's request, a selection of the carriers intended for mailing will be made during the initialization by the dealer. This can be done according to criteria such as

• local presence,
• Speed of delivery,
• Reliability or
• cheap tariffs.

For this purpose, the data of the marketable carriers can already be stored in the franking machine by the manufacturer and confirmed by the user or dealer. Additional carriers that are only active locally, for example, can be reloaded using a corresponding query routine using the keyboard.

The data center, which is now operated by the franking machine manufacturer, in order to only bill against a state postal carrier and to retrieve accounting data from the franking machine, for example to effect remote loading of the franking machine, is expanded accordingly to include the billing to other or alternative mail carriers to make. The latter make their postage rate tables available to the data center, which prepares them for storage and for the purpose of making them available as part of suitable services. The database 305 of the data center or Memory in the transmission means are updated accordingly by the data center and can deliver the desired update data to the franking machines on request. The uniqueness of the assignment of the update data is achieved via a number (CIN) assigned to each carrier or forwarder.

As a result of the preselection, carrier-related data of a group of carriers exist in the memories of the franking machine. The data in the non-volatile memories of the franking machine are constantly monitored according to criteria specific to the carrier.

The preselection of a group of carriers and the storage of the carrier-related tariffs for the services offered are carried out, for example, by means of a modem or with chip cards or other means of transmission. From the aforementioned group of carriers, the desired carrier can then be selected by the customer or automatically according to the criteria entered by the customer. The up-to-dateness of the stored data is ensured by a corresponding routine, which is also loaded using one of the aforementioned transmission means. The pre-selection leads in step 16 to the presetting of the group of carriers, for example 10 locally operating carriers. A next step 17 within a program sequence allows automatic carrier selection based on the selected services and / or other criteria. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the carriers are identified with the numbers 1, 2, 4 and m to 1, who offer the desired service or meet the desired criteria. In a subsequent step 18, the respective postage value P ₁ , P ₂ , P ₄ and P _{m is} calculated for the aforementioned selected carriers, which results from the current tariff. Then a comparison and evaluation takes place according to the cheapest postage value. For example, the postage value P _{4 was determined} as the cheapest postage value, which is why the fourth carrier is assigned the ranking I. In the following places II to IV there are for example the first, the second and an m-th carrier. The result is displayed and stored by means of display means 4 in a display area 20 of the screen image shown in FIG. 5.

These current tariffs are stored in a non-volatile manner for all carriers in the group after being made available by the manufacturer in the memories of the franking machine or after data transmission from a data center and subsequent storage in the memories of the franking machine.

The franking machine carries out an event-based monitoring of the up-to-dateness of the carrier-specific data based on time data and / or quantity data, in accordance with the carriers from a group which has been preselected from a large number of public and private carriers.

The franking machine automatically checks whether the selected services are available and otherwise starts communication with a remote data center or with a transmission means, with special request data being sent and the required data being received by the data center or the receiving means of the transmission means and loading the necessary data in their store.

According to the presetting in step 16, an automatic carrier selection with processing of inputs relating to places of service requests to the carrier takes place in a step 17 according to the invention, as a result of which a number of those carriers from the aforementioned group of carriers who fundamentally meet the specified service requirements are selected can.

In a further step 18, the calculation according to the carrier tariff for the aforementioned series of selected carriers is carried out again in the routine of the franking machine.

In addition to the services, the franking machine also stores the tariffs of the carriers in a comparable form. With this and based on the determined weight, the postage values are calculated according to the current tariffs.

mit dem Basistarif B_m für eine Dienstleistung des m-ten Beförderers,
mit Tarifen C₁ bis C_h bzw. C_k im Bereich von -∞ bis 0 für 1 bis k Dienstleistungen des Beförderers (beispielsweise betreff Versandform und Versandart) oder im Bereich von -∞ bis 0 für 1 bis h Dienstleistungen des Postversenders (beispielsweise Vorsortierung, Bündelung),
mit Rabatten für Dienstleistungen D₁ bis D_r im Bereich von 0 bis ∞ für bestimmte Postmengen sowie
mit Tarifen E₁ bis E_g bzw. E_n im Bereich von 0 bis ∞ für 1 bis g Sonderdienstleistungen des Beförderers, wie Versicherung und ähnlichem oder im Bereich von -∞ bis 0 für 1 bis n Sonderdienstleistungen des Postversenders (beispielsweise betreff Versandform und Versandart) oder einmaligen Preisnachlässen durch den Beförderer.The postage fee P _m for the m-th carrier from a group of carriers 1 ≦ m ≦ l is calculated in step 18 on the basis of Current tariffs for selected service requirements according to the general formula (1): $${\text{(D}}_{\text{1m *}}{\text{..D}}_{\text{rm}}{\text{) (B}}_{\text{m}}{\text{+ C}}_{\text{1m}}{\text{+ .. C}}_{\text{Hm}}{\text{+ .. C}}_{\text{km}}{\text{) + E}}_{\text{1m}}{\text{+ .. E}}_{\text{gm}}{\text{+ .. E}}_{\text{nm}}{\text{= P}}_{\text{m}}$$

with the basic tariff B _m for a service of the m-th carrier,
with tariffs C ₁ to C _h or C _k in the range from -∞ to 0 for 1 to k services of the carrier (for example regarding the form of dispatch and mode of dispatch) or in the range from -∞ to 0 for 1 to h services of the postal consignor (for example pre-sorting Bundling)
with discounts for services D ₁ to D _r in the range from 0 to ∞ for certain mail volumes and
with tariffs E ₁ to E _g or E _n in the range from 0 to ∞ for 1 to g special services of the carrier, such as insurance and the like, or in the range from -∞ to 0 for 1 to n special services of the mail order company (for example regarding the type of delivery and type of delivery ) or one-time price reductions by the carrier.

If another carrier fulfills the specified service requirements, the postage fee Pq for the qth carrier from a group of carriers 1 ≦ q ≦ l is also calculated on the basis of current tariffs for selected service requirements according to the aforementioned general formula (1). The postage fees Pq ≦ P _m ?, P _m <Pq? to optimize costs for the closer automatic selection of the cheapest carrier or to create a list sorted by the costs for the postage fee.

A carrier identification number (CIN) is assigned to each carrier. The determination of the cheapest carrier in step 19 is preceded by a postage determination in step 18 in accordance with the shipping information entered in the second selection step 17. As a result of the postage determination in step 18, the postage value is stored and then the carrier identification number CIN is incremented until a next CIN of a following carrier from the set of carriers is reached. Subsequently the postage carrier is again determined in accordance with the shipping information entered, the postage value being stored and the carrier identification number then being incremented again in the aforementioned manner. This process is only completed when the determination for the last of the group of eligible carriers and a comparison of the determined postage values has been carried out among all carriers of the group of eligible carriers.

The mail carrier name shown in the first field (from the left) in the first line in the display area 20 according to FIG. 5 identifies the automatically determined cheapest mail carrier. For the personal or other reasons mentioned, however, a mail carrier name shown in the second or other subsequent next line can also be activated or selected in order to prepare the carrier service by the desired postal carrier by processing the mail item.

The invention is not limited to the present embodiment, since it is evident that further other arrangements or implementations of the method can be developed or used, which, starting from the same basic idea of the invention, are covered by the appended claims.

Claims (26)

An arrangement for processing mail, with a control module (5), input / output control means (6, 61, 62), input and output means (2, 8, 4) and a printer module (7), with storage means (3, 9) , which are connected to said control module (5) and have predetermined storage areas, having a receiving means (2, 200, 15) which is communicatively connected to said storage means in order to receive data correspondingly transmitted from an external memory, characterized in that
that the control module (5) and the receiving means (2, 200, 15) are programmed to access means (31) for downloading data from the external memory (10, 300, 301, 302, 305) containing at least one data table relate to, the data table containing information that is linked to at least one condition, the conditions being inputable with an input means (8) to automatically generate request data for downloading the aforementioned data,
that the control module (5) has means (32) for storing the data received by said receiving means (2, 200, 15) and relating to at least one data table in one of said predetermined storage areas (33, 34) of said storage means (3) , wherein further means (35) allow the selection of current data from the at least one data table which is required to determine the shipping fee for a shipping item,
that the control module (5) in connection with the storage means is programmed: i) to process inputs relating to the service requests made to the carrier and automatically select those carriers from the aforementioned group of carriers who meet the service requests made, ii) to calculate the postage or shipping fee based on the weight of the mail or letter and on the basis of current tariffs for selected services and iii) to carry out comparisons of the postage or shipping fee to optimize costs in the closer automatic selection of the cheapest carrier. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one data table includes a set of postage fee tables, wherein when the arrangement 1, 100 is put into operation, said downloading and storing means (3, 31, 32) at least from the external memory of the transmission means (10, GSM) via the receiving means (2, 200) or by modem (15) from a database (305) of a data center DZ the set of postage fee tables into one of said predetermined storage areas (33, 34) of said storage means (3) load and said control module (4) accesses further means (36) for selecting an applicable postage from the currently valid postal fee table, depending on a place of origin of the mail item and a current date, and
that the control module (5) accesses further means (37) in order to select current data and information relating to specific functions from the at least one data table, which are then available as a function for processing mail items. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said receiving means comprise means for reading a chip card, and characterized in that the transmission means is a chip card, said chip card having a memory with predetermined memory areas, said predetermined memory areas being at least one area for Storage of a postage fee table and an associated date to define a date on which the postage fee table comes into force. The arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that said at least one area is a plurality of areas, each of the areas being available for at least one postage fee table and an associated date. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the external memory is a memory (300, 301, 302) of the cellular communication network, and memory segments are provided in the memory of the cellular communication network that the means (3, 5, 6) of the said arrangement are connected to the receiving means (200) in order to receive input information including a geographical location from a service of the cellular communication network. The arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that said input information includes a local time associated with the geographical origin. The arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that said predetermined storage areas of said memory of said chip card contain storage areas for data of a postage fee table, additional functions and additional information to be loaded via said receiving means, and that input means are provided which are suitable for the operator Allow entry of country of origin, location, country and local time or selected information. The arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the memory segments of the memory of the cellular communication network contain memory segments for the data of the postage fee tables, additional functions and additional information which are to be loaded via said receiving means, and that input means are provided which allow the input from from the country of origin , Location, country and local time, or selected information when the arrangement is turned on. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that a communication bus is provided which connects said control module with other modules and a battery-backed clock / date module for supplying the arrangement with time and date via said bus. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the data transmitted via the transmission means include postage fee tables which are divided into zones; for determining the postage fee when entering a weight of the mail item, a postal class and a post type for each zone of the postage fee tables which can be downloaded into the arrangement. The arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that input means are provided which allow direct manual input by an operator for determining a postage via said input means. The arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that said input means permit automatic input for determining a postage. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission means contain stored data relating to additional functions to be downloaded, which are only valid for a limited period and only for a predetermined geographical location from a predetermined date, some of the additional functions being freely selectable and others being selected Security reasons cannot be manipulated. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said control module, said printer module, said storage means and said receiving means are installed in a mobile franking machine. The arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that a communication bus connects said control module with other modules and with a programmable clock / date module for supplying the arrangement with an applicable local time based on a specific location. The arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that said input means include a scale for weighing the mail item. The arrangement according to claims 14 and 16, characterized in that said scale is in the form of an integrated Weighing module that automatically enters the weight data into the franking machine via an interface. Method for processing mail, with an arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by the steps: - The arrangement is put into operation, data is requested for a set of mail carriers and then the control module is used to store the at least one data table received by the receiving means in one of the predetermined storage areas of the storage means, with at least one data table being downloaded from the transmission means using receiving means and wherein the data table contains information associated with at least one condition, finally, the control module automatically selects current data and information relating to specific functions from the at least one data table, which are then available in the arrangement for processing mail items as a function of the at least one condition, - Shipping information is entered into the arrangement, with the control module data tables are retrieved from the memory, each of which is assigned to a different shipping agent, suitable data is selected from the data tables called up in accordance with the shipping information, with the control module, the shipping costs for the items to be sent are calculated from the corresponding data tables and as a function of the shipping information, - The shipping costs calculated in the calculation step are then compared. Method according to claim 18, characterized in that the shipping costs are displayed in ascending order. Method according to Claim 18, characterized in that the receiving means contain means (2) for reading a chip card and the transmission means is a chip card, and furthermore inserting a chip card into the chip card reading means (2) for downloading with the receiving means and removing the chip card is carried out before mailings are processed with the arrangement. Arrangement for determining the shipping costs for shipments to be sent to a freight forwarder to be selected from a plurality of forwarding agents, comprising a control module, a memory connected to said control module with predetermined memory areas and a receiver communicating with said memory in order to via Receiving means to transmit transmitted data, characterized in that
that said receiver downloads a plurality of data tables from the transmission means, each of the data tables being associated with a corresponding carrier,
said control module stores each of the data tables in a corresponding one of said memory areas of said memory, and
that said control module contains a comparison device for comparing individual data from the plurality of data tables and for displaying a result of the comparison. Arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that each of the data tables contains an associated expiry date and in that said control module automatically downloads an updated table on or after the expiration date with said receiving means. Arrangement according to Claim 21, characterized in that each of the data tables contains information which is linked to at least one condition, and in that said control module selects a current data table and information relating to specific information from said data tables, which is then in the arrangement for franking as one Function of the at least one condition are available. Arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the plurality of data tables contain at least two shipping fee tables; wherein, when the arrangement is put into operation, said control module loads the two shipping fee tables from the transmission means, via the receiving means, into one of said storage areas of said storage means; and wherein said control module, depending on a place of origin of the consignment to be dispatched and on a current date, selects an applicable dispatch fee from the currently applicable dispatch fee tables. Method for determining the shipping costs for consignments to be sent with a forwarder to be selected from a plurality of forwarding agents, by means of an arrangement consisting of a control module, a memory connected to the control module with predetermined storage areas and a receiver communicating with the memory To receive data transmitted via transmission means, comprising the following steps: Shipping information is entered into the arrangement, with the control module data tables are called up from the memory, each of which is assigned to a different shipping agent, Suitable data is selected from the retrieved data tables according to the shipping information, with the control module, the shipping costs for the items to be sent are calculated from the corresponding data tables and as a function of the shipping information, the shipping costs calculated in the calculation step are then compared and the shipping costs are displayed. Method according to claim 25, characterized in that the arrangement further contains a display routine for the associated display means for displaying the shipping costs calculated in the calculation step and for displaying the shipping costs in ascending order.

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